Coming Full Circle
by Babs567
Summary: Lucy Kinkirk tried to forget that night. But when she finds out her brother-in-law is dating someone who shares Lucy's pain, her whole world turns upside down. Sometimes learning to let go means learning to forgive. Please read and review! CH 4 - Ben's being secretive about his date with Jen, and Jen spends her first night back at her parents'.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Deep down, Lucy never healed from her friend's death. The guilt was still there. So when she finds out her brother-in-law is dating her friend's older sister, she has to find a way to cope. Sometimes finding happiness means learning to let go.

**Please note: The Camdens are still living in Glen Oak. They did not rent an RV to go traveling across the country. In the meantime, Lucy and Kevin had another daughter after Savannah, named Sarah Rachel (known as Sarah). She is two years old.**

Disclaimer: I only own Sarah Rachel and Point Place.

Coming Full Circle

"Luce, we're home!" Kevin Kinkirk shouted as he opened the back door of their home, right next door to the Camdens, the home of her parents.

"Mommy!" 4-year-old Savannah cried as she ran to her mother. "Look! I got to finger paint!" She held up a beautiful painting that held many scratches and scribbles and paint splotches all over. It clearly looked the artwork of a 4-year-old. Nevertheless, Lucy smiled at her daughter and said, "That's beautiful, Honey."

"Hey Savannah, if you go put away your schoolbag in your room like Mommy and I showed you yesterday, I can take you the park," Kevin told his daughter.

"Okay!" Savannah ran upstairs with her backpack in hand. Kevin and Lucy laughed, as they watched her. "She's a bundle full of energy," Lucy told her husband, as she gave him a kiss.

"I'll say. How's our other little one?" he asked about their second daughter, Sarah Rachel, who was only two years old.

"Sleeping. Finally. Savannah was never this difficult to put to sleep."

Kevin shrugged. "By the way," he said, opening the refrigerator, "Ben called."

"He did? How's he doing?"

"He's doing well. He has off for the holidays, and decided to come out and spend time with his family."

"And this has nothing to do with a girl? Whatever happened to what's-her-name?"

"Clara?"

"No, Clara was three months ago. He's been out since her."

"Peggy?"

Lucy shook her head.

"Mary-Ann?"

"God, was he trying to go out with a girl who had a name similar to Mary's?"

"There's always Patty-Mary," Kevin reminded her.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "I'm not referring to your sister. He definitely went out with Mary-Ann because of her name."

"He's not that shallow."

Lucy looked at him. "This is your brother we're talking about."

"Come on Luce."

Lucy sighed. "Fine. So, what's her name?"

"You know I love you?"

"What did you do?"

"Nothing."

"Stop trying to change the subject. You know you're a bad liar."

Kevin laughed. "Seriously. He just feels like dropping by for the holidays."

"What about your mom and Frank?"

"They went to Hawaii."

"He couldn't go with them?"

"I guess not."

"Why not?"

"Can't you just be happy he wants to visit?"

"He's up to something…"

"Luce, no he isn't."

Lucy shrugged. "Okay, then."

Yeah, right.

Ben Kinkirk made his way onto the plane. He double-checked his ticket. 38B. He groaned. He hated the back seats. It took forever to make his way to his seat in the crowded aisles, and then it took forever to get off of the plane once it landed. "Excuse me, pardon me, sorry sir," he had to repeat over and over again. _If I was still dating Mary, _he thought, but shook it out his mind. No, Mary had remarried Carlos and they had three children together. He had to stop thinking that he had a chance with her.

Ben groaned when he realized that he would be sitting in a middle seat. Both seats next to him were vacant. "Fantastic." He settled himself in and decided to drift off to sleep. At least the flight wasn't as lengthy as some other flights. Like, say, Australia. Although that would be a pretty cool to visit.

"Excuse me?" Ben opened his eyes and looked at the woman who was standing over him. She had a scar that went right down the center of her face, but she still managed to look pretty. "I'm supposed to be sitting in the window seat."

"Sure." He stood up and let her pass through. She settled herself down, put her small duffel underneath the seat, buckled her seatbelt and just stared out the window, not bothering to make conversation.

_Wow, she's really pretty. I wonder if she has a boyfriend._ However, after years of dating, he knew better than to ask that outright, so he decided with simple pleasantries. "So…heading for Glen Oak, huh?" _Way to go, Moron. _

She looked at him. _She has such pretty eyes. _"Yeah – visiting my parents for the holidays. What about yourself?"

"My brother and sister-in-law. I thought it was time I visited. Besides," he said with a grin, "My nieces miss me."

She laughed. _She has such a great laugh, _he thought. "Are you living in Buffalo?" Ben asked.

Jen nodded. "I moved out here a few years ago. I work as a receptionist down by Point Place." Point Place was an upscale spa and nail salon. "You?"

"I grew up in Buffalo. I'm a firefighter." Ben wanted to know more about the scar, but he decided not to press the issue, and the two of them talked for awhile about their hobbies and interests. The flight passed too quickly by, and before they knew it, they were landing in Glen Oak. "Maybe I'll call you sometime?" Ben asked. "That is, if you're interested."

Jen took a deep breath. "Look Ben, you seem like a really nice guy, but…I'm not ready to date." The truth was, Jen was more than ready to date. She was nearing the age of 28, and she had never been in a relationship before. She didn't want to mess things up, especially if they found out about her past.

Ben, however, knew that he enjoyed speaking to Jen and wanted to see her again. "Please, just one date. If, after the one date, you are still not ready, then I'll leave you alone. I promise." Jen gave him a feeble smile. She took out a pen and a small pad of paper from her purse, and jotted down her number. "It's my cell phone."

"Thanks."

Jen turned and left the plane, and Ben smiled goofily after her.

He had a good feeling about this.

End of Chapter One. Hope you enjoyed!


	2. Chapter 2

Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far

I own Point Place, Sarah Rachel, and Desiree, who will be introduced in this chapter. All other characters do not belong to me.

CHAPTER TWO

Jen's parents were waiting for her at the airport as she went to meet them by the exit. She hadn't seen her parents for four years. _Ever since that horrible night…_

She went to embrace them. First her mother, then her father. Her parents, who used to be kind people, full of energy, were still kind, but now looked solemn and sad as they looked at their daughter, the only daughter they had. The air was thick with uncomfortable silence. "How was your flight?" her mother finally asked.

Jen shrugged. "It went all right." Actually, it had gone better than all right, but she didn't need to tell her parents that. They both knew that she had never dated anyone, even while living in Buffalo. In fact, she rarely spoke to them at all, only for Christmas and her birthday. Otherwise, they had let her be and she had let them be. She knew they didn't really forgive her for the accident that night, and she didn't blame them. The horrible night often came back to haunt her. She hadn't slept well in years.

Jen had been in critical condition at the hospital for two weeks. She was in the hospital for another two weeks after that. Once released from the hospital, she dropped out of school and obtained her GED. She then ended up at the University of Vermont, but transferred to the University of Buffalo after a year. After the accident she had a slight speech impediment, and she had broken her ankle, but somehow, she had come out alive and okay, in spite of all. At least physically – she was never the same again emotionally, and drew herself away from the crowds. She stopped hanging out with her friends. She tried many different therapists, but night after night, the accident still haunted her. _Why me? Why did I survive? _

Her father cleared his throat, breaking Jen's thoughts. "Are you ready to go home?"

Jen nodded. _Home_ wasn't the term that should have been used, but she agreed with her father nonetheless. She was ready to see what Glen Oak had in store for her.

"Uncle Ben!" Savannah cried, as she spotted Ben coming towards her and Kevin. She tugged at her father's hand. "Daddy, look! It's Uncle Ben!"

Kevin smiled. "I see that."

Ben dropped his bags and held his hands out to her. Giggling, Savannah ran into them. He swooped her up, spun her around a couple of times where she squealed happily, and put her down gently.

"What's with the goofy smile?" Kevin asked as Ben picked up his bags. Savannah held onto his other hand tightly. "Oh, wait…did you meet a girl?"

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't."

"What are you, five?"

"I'm almost five, Daddy!" Savannah exclaimed. She held up her fingers. "I'm one, two, three, four, and then I'll be five!"

"Yes, that's very good Honey."

Savannah happily skipped along with them.

"If you must know, I did meet a girl."

"Oh, really? Big shocker," Kevin muttered. "What line did you use this time?"

"What makes you think I used a line?"

"Come on Ben, that's what you do in order to get the girls interested in you."

Ben smirked. "And I have been quite successful."

Kevin rolled his eyes. "Right. And I see the wedding band on your finger."

"Hey, girls are interested..."

"Just not interested enough to stick around?"

Ben held up his hands in defeat. "All right, all right. Her name is Jen, and she's visiting her parents for the holidays." He held up his cell phone. "And I have her number."

"Are you planning to call her?"

"Of course."

Kevin rolled his eyes.

The house looked the same. The mirror on the front wall, the staircase which led up to her and Sarah's bedrooms, and the bathroom to the left. "Would you like something to eat? I can fix some dinner," her mother said nervously.

Jen shook her head. "Thanks, but I'm not really hungry."

"You must be tired," her father agreed.

"You should go upstairs. I've already made up your bed," her mother said.

"Thank you." Jen took her small duffel and went upstairs. The door to Sarah's room, which was straight ahead, was closed. Jen's room was to her right. It was a bright pink room, painted when she was a little girl. Her bedspread was blue, with a flowery pillowcase. Her closet was bare, holding a few pairs of old dresses that she used to wear to church. After Sarah's funeral, Jen didn't return to the church – or any church, for that matter.

Her desk held some old favorite books, such as Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and 1984 by George Orwell. On top was Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, which she had been in the middle of reading before…before everything happened.

Her dressers were bare. She put away the few articles of clothing she had chosen to bring with her. She sat down on her bed and looked out her window. She loved looking out her window, right into the backyard. Her mother had always been a big fan of gardening, and every summer they would plant some vegetables. It didn't look like much had grown there in the past couple of years. There was a big tree in the center of the yard. Squirrels loved to climb up the tree. When Jen and Sarah were younger, they used to love to climb it, too, because then they could look into their cute neighbor's window. That had stopped years before, but it made Jen smile a little.

Jen's cell phone rang. She picked it up off of her bed. She never went without it. "Hello?"

"Hey, girl!" Jen smiled. It was Desiree, Jen's friend and co-worker at Point Place. Desiree was tall, super tan, and beautiful, with long legs and a gorgeous smile. She could brighten anyone's day. Desiree had helped Jen a lot over the past few years, but Jen still didn't really feel comfortable with most people. Even Desiree didn't really understand what Jen was like. Still, Jen valued their friendship. She told Desiree what had happened, but not everything, and Desiree didn't pry for more information.

"Hey, Des."

"How's Cali?"

"It's all right." Jen was tired, but she didn't admit it to her friend. "How's work?" Then remembering the time difference, she blushed, although Desiree didn't know it. "Whoops. You must be done by now."

"Sounds like someone's tired."

Jen yawned. "I guess I am."

"All right. Well, you just have a good night. Glad you got in okay. I'll talk to you soon."

"Thanks, Des. I'll talk to you soon."

"Ben! It's so good to see you!" Annie cried as she went to hug her son-in-law. "Are you hungry? Thirsty? Tired? You know you're welcome to stay here."

"Thanks, Annie, but I'm staying at Kevin and Lucy's."

"Is it okay if we come for dinner?" Lucy asked.

"Of course it's okay!" Annie said, as she hugged her daughter. "You know that."

"Excuse me, I just have to wash up. It's been a long flight," Ben said.

"You've done this flight before," Kevin said, eyeing him suspiciously. "The length hasn't changed."

"It just seemed longer than usual," Ben replied.

"Kevin, stop interrogating your brother," Lucy said.

Ben and Kevin laughed.

Once in the bathroom, Ben pulled out his phone, dialed Jen's number, stared at it for a minute, and hit _call._

Jen's cell phone rang. Jen saw the unfamiliar number, which normally would have frightened her, but for some reason, this number made her smile. She hit the green button, and put the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

END CHAPTER TWO


	3. Chapter 3

Hi guys, sorry for the really short chapter, I just wanted to get this out while I still could. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Camdens or 7th Heaven. Point Place, Sarah Rachel, and Desiree, do belong to me.

CHAPTER THREE

"Jen?"

"Yes, this is she."

"HI Jen." Ben cleared his throat on the other end of the line. "This is Ben…Ben Kinkirk. We met on the plane earlier today?"

Jen let out a little laugh. "I have caller ID on my cell phone. I don't think there's anyone on this planet who doesn't."

"Ah. Well." He cleared his throat. "Um…are you free…" _Why was he having such difficulty getting the words out? _He was used to asking girls out and even getting rejected every once in awhile. So why was this any different?

But he knew. He hadn't been as crazy about the other girls, except for Mary. There was something about Jen that he really, really liked, and he was afraid that she would say no. "Are you free tonight? Maybe I could take you out?"

"Tonight isn't a great night." She liked Ben, too, but she wasn't ready to face her fears, and the idea of dating seemed daunting at the moment.

"Um…tomorrow night?"

Jen shook her head. "Um…I'm sorry, I already have plans." It was only Monday. Besides, Jen didn't have any friends in the area to visit or entertain. She figured she'd just stay in her room most of the time.

"Friday night?"

Before she could stop herself, the words came out. "Okay." _Well, at least this would give her some time to get used to the idea._

She heard Ben breathe a sigh of relief. Jen smiled. "Great. What's your address?"

Jen didn't want him to meet her parents just yet. "Why don't we just meet at the Pool Hall?"

"I'd like to do this the old-fashioned way." _Where in the world did that come from? _He had never cared about that before.

Jen laughed. "15 Burbury Street." Hopefully her parents wouldn't be home; they were both workaholics, her mother a tax attorney and her father a Professor of History at the local community college.

"Sounds good. How is seven o' clock?"

"All right."

"I'll see you then."

Ben hung up the phone and stared at the blank screen. He could see that his hand was shaking. Just then, he heard Kevin's heavy footsteps up the apartment stairs. "Ben! There you are."

Ben quickly put his cell phone back in his pocket. "Hey, Kev."

"Mom made dinner."

Ben stood up. "Are you guys still eating over here regularly?"

Kevin shrugged. "Mom loves to see the girls, and it's nice for us to live close by."

"Haven't you guys ever thought about living somewhere other than Glen Oak?"

Kevin looked at him strangely. "Why are you asking?"

"I'm just wondering."

"Not at this point. Lucy enjoys being the associate pastor at her dad's church, and we like the town. We don't see a reason to move."

Ben shrugged. He followed Kevin to the Camdens.

Please R&R


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: This chapter is going to be a little slow, but bear with me, please. It should start to get better soon._

_Summary: Ben is acting pretty secretive about his date with Jen, and Jen has her first night at her parents'. _

Chapter Four

"So, Ben, how is work?" Reverend Camden asked his son-in-law's brother.

"It's fine."

"Nothing too exciting going on in your life?"

"Not particularly, no."

"Well, I for one, had a fantastic day. I was able to get most of my sermon done for Sunday already. I just had such inspiration."

"That's great, Reverend Camden."

"What's it about, Dad?" Kevin asked, just as Annie said to Ben, "Ben, how many times have we told you to address us by our first names? You're still family, even if you're not with Mary."

"Thanks."

Lucy, who had Sarah Rachel on her lap, shot her husband a look. He shrugged.

"To answer your question, Lucy, you'll have to find out." There was a twinkle in his eye.

"You know something Kevin," Lucy said, as she handed her husband the empty glass. He put in the dishwasher. Both Sarah Rachel and Savannah were asleep; Ben had offered to watch her, since he hadn't seen them for awhile, and besides, they were his nieces. Besides, he did some great voice imitations when reading them bedtime stories, much better than their mother or father. Lucy and Kevin agreed to fill the dishwasher.

"No, I honestly don't."

"He's obviously hiding something."

"Can't you just give it a rest?"

Lucy looked at him. "Kevin, there's something going on. You're as curious as we are, don't try to deny it."

"It's true, I'm curious, but I think we should leave him be."

"Well, what do you think the situation is?"

Kevin shrugged. "It could be anything." His eyes lit up. "Could it be my mother?"

Lucy shook her head. "Wouldn't Patty-Mary have called you?"

Ben shrugged. "She probably would have, although I'm sure she's been pretty busy on her own these days."

"I'm surprised she doesn't have kids yet."

"To be honest, I'm not sure she wants to. She's not really the type to want to be a mother."

"And Ben?"

"He's much more ready to be a father, you see how he is around Savannah and Sarah."

Lucy sighed. "I guess. I just wish I knew what was bothering him."

Kevin gave his wife a hug. "I know."

"And what do you think my dad's up to with his sermon?" she asked, pulling back.

Kevin shrugged. "That I can't tell you."

Lucy sighed.

Ben, of course, wasn't ready to tell anyone. He didn't know what it was about her, but there was obviously some story behind her. However, he also really liked her and wanted to get to know her before he jumped to any conclusions or stopped seeing her.

Jen also tried to get Ben out of her mind. She'd been so used to rejecting guys, and so afraid to get close, that she pretty much stayed clear of them.

Dinner had been a quiet time for Jen and her parents. They both usually worked through dinner, but on the night of Jen's arrival home, both of them made an effort to be there with her. Jen would have been fine to eat at the promenade by herself, but she knew that her parents were trying to make an effort, so was she.

"How's work?" her father asked, as he cut a piece of steak.

Jen nodded. "It's good."

"Are you still working at the same school?" her mother asked.

Jen nodded. "I've got a great class this year, much better than last year. The kids are much more open to learning and new experiences."

Her mother smiled, but Jen could see right through it, she saw through the smile. Sarah had wanted to be a teacher. Jen wanted to follow in Sarah's memory.

Jen had trouble sleeping in her parents home. Although they were warm to her, she knew they still blamed her for what happened with Sarah.

Jen sat by the kitchen window, staring out into the starless night, with a glass of milk in front of her. She didn't hear her mother enter, and jumped when her mother said, "Jen, what are you doing up at this hour?"

Jen turned to look at her, her brown hair kept short the way it had been years earlier, her blue eyes look at her, expressionless. Her mother, who used to be so full of love, warmth and laughter, had become emotionless and unexpressive. It was her way of dealing with Sarah's death, but it wasn't easy to shut Jen out, either.

"I had trouble sleeping."

Her mother took out a glass, poured herself some milk, and joined Jen on the stool next to her. Neither spoke. This wasn't the time. Finally, her mother asked her, "How long do you plan to stay? You know you can stay for as long as you want."

"Thanks Mom, I'm just here for the holidays. I'll be gone in a couple of weeks."

Her mother nodded.

They drank the rest of their milk in silence.

First nights in a strange place are always the most difficult. After that, Jen was able to sleep easier, although breathing easier was a whole other story. She and her parents were still tip-toeing around each other, around the topic that haunted the three of them, and Jen wanted to let it go. There was nothing to discuss. Jen was to blame for it all, and she was surprised – and grateful – that her parents were giving her as much as they were.

From Tuesday, the day of Ben's phone call, to Friday, Jen pretty much watched television and took jogs around the neighborhood. She'd certainly grown up, and no one recognized her.

Finally, on Friday, Jen was able to break her routine. She put on a short, black skirt, just slightly above the knee, with a purple, short-sleeve top. She put on big, silver hoops, and, for the first time in a long time, put on some makeup, which she had kept in the back of her closet, never bothering to apply on her own or buy new. Some foundation, some blush, a little mascara and lip gloss.

"You look nice."

Jen whirled around. Her mother was standing by the doorway. "Are you going out?"

Jen nodded.

"A guy?"

Jen nodded again.

She smiled. "Have a good time."

Jen felt guilty. "I could stay home –"

Her mother shook her head. "Of course not. You go out and have a good time."

"Thanks."

In the meantime, Ben put on a crisp, clean shirt and black slacks with his nice black shoes that he often only wore to church.

"Ben?"

"Up here, Kev!"

Kevin's heavy footsteps came clomping on the stairs. He appeared a minute later. "Would you mind – whoa. Where are you going?"

"Out."

"With a girl?"

"Yes."

Kevin whistled. "She must be special if you're putting on a clean shirt and your church shoes."

Ben rolled his eyes. "What did you want, Kev?"

"I was going to ask you to baby-sit, but I'll ask Mom instead."

Ben nodded.

"Have fun tonight."

"Thanks."

_I certainly hope so._

Please R&R. Thanks!


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for waiting. Here's chapter 5!

Summary: _Ben meets Jen's parents. More mysteries loom on the horizon._

CHAPTER 5

While Jen was waiting for Ben to arrive, she sat down to read a mystery. Even as a kid, she had always loved mysteries – Nancy Drew especially. This one was a mystery with some science fiction attached to it.

She never had trouble engrossing herself in a book; she could easily tune out any noise, anywhere. However, on this particular night, she could not concentrate or sit still. She kept sighing and glancing at the clock every five minutes. "Jen, what's all the fuss?" her father finally asked over his newspaper, exasperated.

"Nothing." She had gotten pretty good at lying over the years, especially about her feelings – and especially to her parents. They would always blame her for Sarah's death, and she would never forgive herself.

Her father cocked an eyebrow, but said nothing. He simply returned to his newspaper. Jen tried to resume reading, but it was hard. It was her first date, after all. _I'll make a fool of myself, _she thought, _but he has to see that for himself. Maybe it won't be so bad. _

Suddenly, the clock on the wall chimed 7, and the doorbell rang. Her father cocked an eyebrow again as Jen jumped up. "Going somewhere?"

She felt like he was interrogating her, like she was being punished, but then again, she was. She was going to be punished for the rest of her life. However, this was a lie she couldn't make, so she simply said, "Yes," with no further explanation.

Her father didn't pry; he simply nodded and said, "Have a good time."

_That's all? _She went over to kiss his cheek. "Thanks," she said, and went to answer the door.

Ben was standing, on her parents' front stoop, with a rose in his hand. "Are you ready to go?"

Jen nodded. Ben handed her the rose. She blushed. "Thanks." She looked over to her father, whom she could see was curious about Ben, but didn't get up from his seat. "Er…would you mind meeting my father?"

"Sure." Ben entered the house, and Jen shut the door behind her. _It's the least I can do, let my parents meet my first date, after everything that's happened. _Her father set down his newspaper.

"May I ask your name?" His voice was pleasant, but cautious.

"Ben," he said, extending his hand. Jen's father shook it.

"It's nice to meet you, Ben. You two have a good time." He picked up the newspaper and resumed his reading and underlining.

Ben glanced over at Jen, who merely shrugged. "Let me just get my jacket."

She went to retrieve her jacket from the front hall closet, and once she returned, she found her mother, talking to Ben. "What are you studying?"

"I'm not. I'm actually a firefighter," Ben replied. "I work for the Buffalo Fire Station. I'm just here for a couple of weeks on vacation."

"I see." Jen could see behind her mother's caution, as well. Neither of her parents were going to tell Ben much about their daughter.

"We should probably get going," Jen said, taking Ben's hand. "Good night, don't wait up for me."

"You have a nice time," her mother replied, and Jen saw a faraway look in her mother's eyes.

"Thanks," Jen said, and lead Ben down the hall and out the front door.

Please R&R!


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